Looking Back Chapter 4
by Erin05
Summary: Flashback to the winter of 1996


Rating: PG-13, may get a little less clean though  
Classification: Other, this is not really a romance, though it might turn into one  
Distribution: Anywhere, just let me know.  
Note: Just pretend that the events of season 1, 2, and 3 happened during the gang's 8th and 9th grade year.  
Feedback:Please give me some!Email me at dramaclub01@hotmail.com  
  
Looking Back   
Chapter 4   
  
December 7, 1996   
6:05 P.M.   
  
  
"I can't believe this blizzard!"Joey exclaimed after peeking out the bay window in the Leery living room. White snowflakes were pouring down furiously. The snow was now at least 3 feet deep.   
  
  
"Well, now that we are essentially trapped here, what do you think we should do?" Dawson wondered out-loud.   
  
  
Dawson, Joey, Jen, Andie, Jack, and Pacey were seated at various places in front to the Leery's TV. They had originally planned to catch the sneak preview for some new movie called Scream, but the fast snowstorm had nixed that.   
  
  
Jack's shoulders dropped in disappointment. "I really wanted to see Scream, too."   
  
  
Dawson waved his hand dismissively. "Aw, it's a movie that's probaly gonna go nowhere. I mean, it was created by an unknown, AND directed by Wes Craven. He isn't exactly Spielberg, you know. Now, I ask again, what can we do now?"   
  
  
"Well, we can always watch some videos," Joey suggested.   
  
  
"Yeah, like we do all the time."   
  
  
Jen brightened. "I can show you my new Tamogotchi!"   
  
  
"A tamo-what?"   
  
  
"It's a new toy I picked up when I went to New York last week," Jen explained.   
  
  
Pacey gave her a sly smile. "Since when did you play with toys? Trying to channel your inner-child?"   
  
  
Jen pulled out her green Tamogotchi, holding it high in the air. "No, Pace. Tamogotchi pets aren't the kind of toys 5-year olds play with. It's like Sim City, except that it applies to pets and it can fit on your keychain. They're all the rage in Japan right now."   
  
  
"Sorry, but I prefer real pets over green plastic ones."   
  
  
Andie snapped her fingers. "I know what we can do! We can talk about where we want to be in 10 years. We have to do an essay about it in English, anyway."   
  
  
The five in front of her glanced around, unsure if they wanted to discuss such an intimate subject.   
  
  
Andie let out a deep breath. "Okay, guys, I'll start. When I'm 24, I want to have graduated with honors from Yale. I'll be at a prestigous business school, and maybe interning at a large corporation like Daddy's."   
  
  
Jen thought for a second. "I want to be a fashion designer in New York. Vera Wang is like my god. I'd love it if she took me under her wing, and I became her prodigy. Oh, and I'd love to be dating a CK model."   
  
  
It was Dawson's turn now. "I guess I want to be working my way up at Dreamworks. I also want to be married and possibly have a few kids." He avoided looking at Joey, much to everyone's complete lack of surprise.   
  
  
"When I'm 24, I want to be anywhere but here," Pacey answered. "I want to be out of this town, away from my parents, and just be free."   
  
  
Joey bit her lip nervously. She knew what she wanted to say, but she wasn't sure what she could tell them. "I want to be a doctor. I guess it's because I've always wanted to save someone, like I couldn't save mom." She trailed off, with tears forming in her eyes.   
  
  
Dawson gripped her hand comfortingly. "Joey, come on, you know it's not your fault, right?" Joey nodded slowly.   
  
  
It felt really good to be this close to Joey again. They'd been strained since the end of 8th grade, and slowly they were rebuilding their friendship  
  
  
Pacey watched this exchange with unexplained jealousy. He'd started to play babysitter with Joey at the beginning of the school year, but somewhere along it'd became more than that. He had never really liked Joey, but he had been lumped with her because of his friendship with Daws. But, as he had gotten to know her, Pacey had started to really like Joey. He was feeling something for her, and he could tell that it might not be just friendship.   
  
  
Jen cleared her throat. "I don't believe we've had Jack tell us. Jack?"   
  
  
Caught off guard, Jack stumbled over a few words. "I...um ... guess. Uh, I don't know."   
  
  
"Come on, Jack. You have to tell us. We aren't letting you go without answering the question!"   
  
  
"Okay. Well, I guess I just want to be 24, you know? I just want to be alive, and I want to be happy and feel good about myself. It doesn't matter if I'm rich or poor, or if I have the perfect job or house or boyfriend. If I'm not happy with myself, then what would I have accomplished? So, that's what I think I want to be when I'm 24. Alive with happiness and love. What's the point of life without it?"   
  
December 23, 2006   
10:05 A.M.   
  
Josie's eyes shot open. As she groggily got up off the bed, she recapped the events that had transpired yesterday. Jack was close to dying, she had returned to Capeside after 8 years, Pacey seemed to be fond of abusing alcohol, and she'd flipped out on Dawson.  
  
  
She thought it'd been an illusion, but her room had stayed exactly as she had left it. It was as if this room was stuck in the year 1998. Kinda creeped her out.  
  
  
Damnit, why did she have to be so obsessive about not being Joey? Oh, well.   
  
  
Bessie had, through some godsent, put all her bags there. Josie stumbled towards her purse and quickly got out what she needed.   
  
  
It was a bottle of herbal energy pills and some pain killers. Joey had injured her back last year when she was helping a woman flee from her husband. The painkillers were for the chronic pain she suffered as a result of that. The energy pills were to keep her from falling asleep. She had all these activities, and it made her feel so lethargic.   
  
  
Josie quickly swallowed 3 pills each before getting ready to go downstairs.   
  
  
  



End file.
